US7050443B2 - Dynamically configurable data router - Google Patents

Dynamically configurable data router Download PDF

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Publication number
US7050443B2
US7050443B2 US09/834,974 US83497401A US7050443B2 US 7050443 B2 US7050443 B2 US 7050443B2 US 83497401 A US83497401 A US 83497401A US 7050443 B2 US7050443 B2 US 7050443B2
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data
router
routings
network router
routing table
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US20020021664A1 (en
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Laurent Baretzki
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Airsys ATM SA
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Airsys ATM SA
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
    • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
    • H04L41/0803—Configuration setting
    • H04L41/084—Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements
    • H04L41/0843—Configuration by using pre-existing information, e.g. using templates or copying from other elements based on generic templates
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
    • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
    • H04L69/18—Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Definitions

  • the invention concerns a data router that can be configured dynamically. It is notably applicable to the handling of air traffic data. More generally, it is applicable to all computer routing systems having large numbers of inputs and of outputs.
  • Air traffic density has reached a very high level, while air safety requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. Modern-day air traffic management therefore involves the processing of large quantities of data, notably used by air traffic controllers and pilots. These data include a broad range of radar data, meteorological data, aircraft positions and flight plans, and instrument landing system (ILS) data.
  • ILS instrument landing system
  • routers can operate with a software architecture of frontal processor type. They are equipped with FPBSS-type software, meaning “Front Processor Basic System Software”. In this operating mode, the router is connected to a single application program. It has only one upstream function, for example routing data to the required destination.
  • the essential application software is stored in one or more central computers; one router is required for each application.
  • OCP Open Communication Processor
  • a router is connected to several applications and operates substantially as a data server. It is notably used to process and route the data from any input point to any output point.
  • This operating mode is particularly suitable for air traffic management. In an air traffic management application, this mode notably provides the following functionalities:
  • the object of the present invention is therefore a cost-effective system in which a router satisfies a large variety of needs without requiring the development of specific routing and processing software.
  • the invention is a network router characterized in that it includes at least one generic router able to execute routings between inputs (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 , . . .) and outputs (O 1 , O 2 , O 3 , . . . ), a configuration file including the parameters of a given set of routings between said inputs and outputs, and a routing table, a subset of routings (R 1 , R 2 , . . . ) being loaded from said configuration file into said routing table by said generic router to enable this router to execute the routings between said inputs and outputs according to the configuration defined in said routing table.
  • the generic router activates the inputs and outputs dedicated to the application and loads the routing table.
  • the main advantages of the invention are that it adapts to numerous types of applications, that it enables handling of “overflows” at the outputs, and that it is easy to implement.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates the use of a data routing system in open mode
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the software architecture of a router according to FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 shows a router connecting serial lines to applications
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the operating principle of a router according to the invention.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates the software architecture of a router according to the invention
  • FIG. 6 shows an example of a routing table used by a router according to the invention
  • FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a router according to the invention, highlighting an example of routes and their associated functions.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example of use of a data routing system in open mode.
  • a router 1 processes and routes data (radar data, for example) received via serial links to an Ethernet link of the UDP multicast type. This Ethernet link delivers the data treated by the router to a local information network, located for example in a flight control center.
  • data radar data, for example
  • Ethernet link delivers the data treated by the router to a local information network, located for example in a flight control center.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a possible software architecture for the router 1 operating in open mode as in FIG. 1 .
  • the router includes an operating system 21 , for example of the VRTX SA type, which interacts with the various software layers:
  • An intermediate software layer 22 referred to as “middleware”, is added to the operating system 21 notably to provide services such as inter-task communication, time management or resource management.
  • a library of service programs 29 is included in the intermediate layer.
  • This layer 22 provides the link between the inputs/outputs software layers, the operating system and the application.
  • a software layer 23 provides the link between the serial input links 24 and the intermediate layer 22 .
  • This input layer 23 makes use of, for example, FPBSS-type communication protocols.
  • a series of software layers 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 assures the link between the Ethernet link 2 and the intermediate software layer 22 .
  • An external layer 25 controls the output peripherals.
  • Beneath this layer, the other software layers 26 , 27 , 28 handle different communication protocols for the output peripherals.
  • a layer 26 executes the Internet communication protocol, called “IP”.
  • IP Internet communication protocol
  • Two other software layers 27 , 28 execute the TCP and UDP communication protocols. The latter two layers 27 , 28 communicate with the intermediate layer 22 .
  • the intermediate layer 22 includes a specific interface application 30 , which is in fact a routing program.
  • This application provides a common interfacing enabling access to any input or output, whether it be of serial link or Ethernet type.
  • This application notably issues requests to initialize or configure the inputs/outputs, for example to initialize a TCP/IP or X25 connection, and send or receive messages to or from the inputs/outputs according to a pre-defined routing program.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates, by way of example, a router 1 linking serial lines 24 to applications 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 via a link 2 , for example of Ethernet type.
  • the router includes a pre-defined program routing 30 .
  • this routing program must be modified too. This is notably the case when a new input or output must be configured, for example an input carrying additional or very specific radar data using a non-standard protocol.
  • the routing program 30 must also be revised when a specific additional routing must be activated, for example when an application is added or removed, or when a dedicated application is required, which could involve for example the removal of a checksum-type verification program for an asynchronous link. If we take the example of a configuration applied to air traffic control, the number of possible evolutions is very large. Developing a new routing program 30 for every evolution is not economic and would, in view of the potentially large number of evolutions, pose maintenance and reliability problems.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the operating principle of a router according to the invention.
  • a router includes a software component 41 that executes a generic routing program.
  • This generic routing program is capable of handling all types of inputs and outputs; more particularly, it is preferably able to execute all the routings between the inputs and outputs.
  • the generic router 41 reads a configuration file 42 previously loaded into a memory.
  • This configuration file includes the parameters of a given set of routings, for example all the possible routings between the inputs and outputs.
  • a routing defines a data path between an input and an output.
  • Associated with the different routes programmed in the configuration file are input/output functions that the router can execute.
  • the generic router can execute a set of routing programs 30 specific to several needs, and even to a large number of needs.
  • the generic router when the generic router starts (or after a reset), it initializes all the inputs and outputs dedicated to an application, in other words to a need, as defined by the configuration parameters. It activates in particular the inputs and outputs used for the application. It fills a routing table 45 from the configuration file. More precisely, the generic router loads a subset of routings, corresponding to a specific need, from the configuration file 42 to the routing table 45 .
  • the router waits to receive messages on the inputs.
  • the router executes the routings between the inputs and outputs according to the configuration defined in the routing table.
  • each message received by a given input is processed by a function associated with this input, then routed according to the routing table, then processed by a function associated with the selected output, then physically fed to this output.
  • the figures that follow illustrate this operation.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an example of software architecture of a router according to the invention.
  • the architecture is close to that of FIG. 2 , but the dedicated routing program 30 executes the generic routing program 41 , which interacts with the routing table 45 and the configuration file 42 .
  • the configuration file is for example stored in the services library 29 .
  • a given need 43 expresses the use of a set of inputs and outputs, and the use of the associated processing functions.
  • the inputs to activate are for example serial ports receiving radar, weather or flight plan data.
  • the functions associated with these inputs process the messages according, for example, to their priorities, their validity or their pertinence.
  • the generic router 41 is therefore an application that can cover a multitude of needs, and that can be configured to meet a given need, in fact a final application.
  • a router according to the invention can process about ten inputs and outputs; several routers can be used to handle a larger number of inputs and outputs.
  • FIG. 6 shows an example of a routing table 25 expressing the routings between three inputs I 1 , I 2 , I 3 and three outputs O 1 , O 2 , O 3 .
  • the routing table is accessed in two dimensions: I 1 , I 2 , I 3 correspond to the columns; O 1 , O 2 , O 3 correspond to the lines.
  • the communication inputs to activate are for example serial links (X25, BSC, asynchronous, HDLC, “bit-stream” or other) with standard or customized parameters, for example the line speed, parity and electric characteristics.
  • the outputs are for example Ethernet access points such as UDP or TCP outputs, Internet addresses, and port numbers.
  • the cross-hatched cells in the table indicate that there is no link between the corresponding input and output.
  • the table in FIG. 6 therefore defines the following routes:
  • a function f 1 is assigned to input I 1 and a function F 1 is assigned to output O 1 .
  • functions f 2 , F 2 , f 3 , F 3 are respectively assigned to the inputs/outputs I 2 , O 2 , I 3 , O 3 .
  • These functions could be for example data integrity checking functions, sorting functions, or message management functions. In the latter case, the functions manage for example message priorities. All other types of processing functions are possible.
  • the same function can be assigned to several inputs or outputs: for example, function f 2 could be identical to function f 3 .
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a different embodiment of a router according to the invention in the case where the router handles for example two simple routes, the operating system 21 and the intermediate software are not shown in the figure.
  • the generic router 41 can for example potentially handle N inputs I 1 , I 2 , . . . I N and M outputs O 1 , O 2 , . . . O M , with p associated functions f 1 , f 2 , . . . f P .
  • the inputs I 3 and I n and the outputs O 1 and O 4 are activated.
  • a first route R 1 connects a TCP/IP connection I n whose processing function is f n to a serial output O 4 whose processing function is f 4 .
  • a second route R 2 connects a serial input I 3 whose processing function is f 3 to an UDP access point O 1 whose processing function is f 1 .
  • a router according to the invention can include functions dedicated to handling processing capacity overloads, referred to as “overflows”.
  • An overflow can occur, for example, when too many messages are received on a given input and are routed to the same output, in particular when the output line speed is less than the input line speed or when flow control is active on one of the connections.
  • An overflow handling function notably includes a decision on the transmission and priority of queued messages. According to the invention, several overflow handling functions can be defined according to the circumstances.
  • the function F ov defines the management of the overflow situation of the messages transiting this route.
  • a first function F ov is adapted for the handling of incoming messages routed according to a given sequence, for example the message numbers. In the event of overflow, the last messages received are rejected until the overflow situation is resolved. In other words, the function F ov gives priority to messages in the order of their sequential number, without loss of messages within the routed sequence.
  • F ov prevents the routing of message m 5 to the output as long as m 4 has not been sent. In this example, it is not the time of arrival of the messages which is the most important, but rather the sequential, complete and/or exhaustive aspect of the message.
  • the function F ov either sends the messages on the route R z or rejects them.
  • This type of function F ov is for example used for routing flight plan information in air traffic management systems; such transmissions are generated when an aircraft is handed over from one traffic control center to another.
  • a second possible overflow processing function is more suitable for the handling of more vital information, such as radar data.
  • radar tracking systems can anticipate or extrapolate target positions. To do this, it is preferable to have the most recent position data of an aircraft if the extrapolated position is to be correctly calculated; it may be pointless to send older data, which can therefore be discarded; in any event, such data are no longer valid after a given period of time.
  • the function F ov rejects the oldest data received in favor of the most recent data, which are routed on the route R z . When the data received are radar data, the most recent data effectively represent the current radar coverage.
  • a third possible overflow function performs a flow control.
  • This function can be used advantageously for example for TCP/IP or X25 communication protocols. If an output is in an overflow situation, the corresponding input(s) are blocked until the overflow is resolved. This notably enables the flow of data into the router to be controlled. In other words, when too many messages are reaching an output, the function F ov reduces the data flow on the route R z . More precisely, it sends a message to the data source requesting it to stop transmission of messages, to enable the overloaded output to clear its queue of waiting messages.
  • the overflow functions F ov can be combined with the functions f 1 , f 2 . . . associated with the inputs and outputs. They are defined in the configuration file 42 and loaded into the routing table when needed.
  • a router according to the invention is cost-effective, since it can satisfy many needs with very few software modifications or evolutions from one need to another.
  • the generic router 41 and the configuration file 42 can stay the same. Only the intermediate software 22 , referred to as “middleware”, must be modified, notably to take into account the parameters defining the precise need.
  • a router according to the invention can be used in a modular configuration. For example, it is then possible to use one or more routers dedicated to routing of radar data, a router dedicated to flight plan data, another router dedicated to meteorological data, and possibly other routers assigned to other types of data.
  • the router according to the invention has been described for an air traffic management application. It will be evident to professionals of the art that the invention is also an economically advantageous solution applicable to other types of applications involving data routing. In particular, numerous types of data can be routed in a router according to the invention, with their associated protocols which can be standard or customized.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
  • Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
US09/834,974 2000-04-18 2001-04-16 Dynamically configurable data router Expired - Fee Related US7050443B2 (en)

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FR0004984 2000-04-18
FR0004984A FR2807848B1 (fr) 2000-04-18 2000-04-18 Routeur informatique a configuration dynamique

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020010750A1 (en) * 2000-04-28 2002-01-24 Airsys Atm Sa Redundant input/output management device, notably for data routing
US20040039806A1 (en) * 2001-10-26 2004-02-26 Miras Bertrand Methods and systems for the synchronized recording and reading of data coming from a plurality of terminal devices

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8959245B2 (en) * 2008-11-25 2015-02-17 Broadcom Corporation Multiple pathway session setup to support QoS services
US8537844B2 (en) * 2009-10-06 2013-09-17 Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute Ethernet to serial gateway apparatus and method thereof

Citations (7)

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WO1997049214A1 (fr) 1996-06-24 1997-12-24 Netsys Technologies, Inc. Procede permettant l'analyse des problemes lies a une vue centree des reseaux ainsi que la construction de topologies et appareil correspondant
FR2758925A1 (fr) 1997-01-28 1998-07-31 Sextant Avionique Procede et dispositif de routage generique de messages transmis dans des formats et selon des protocoles differents
WO2000030322A2 (fr) 1998-11-17 2000-05-25 Sun Microsystems, Incorporated Systeme informatique de commutation de paquets a equilibrage des charges utilisant une architecture multiprocesseurs a usages multiples
US6081507A (en) * 1998-11-04 2000-06-27 Polytechnic University Methods and apparatus for handling time stamp aging
EP1039761A1 (fr) 1999-03-16 2000-09-27 Sagem Sa Procédé de diffusion de paquets de données numériques par un ensemble de canaux
US6380869B1 (en) * 1999-05-19 2002-04-30 Potomac Aviation Technology Corporation Automated air-traffic advisory system and method
US6751191B1 (en) * 1999-06-29 2004-06-15 Cisco Technology, Inc. Load sharing and redundancy scheme

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1997049214A1 (fr) 1996-06-24 1997-12-24 Netsys Technologies, Inc. Procede permettant l'analyse des problemes lies a une vue centree des reseaux ainsi que la construction de topologies et appareil correspondant
FR2758925A1 (fr) 1997-01-28 1998-07-31 Sextant Avionique Procede et dispositif de routage generique de messages transmis dans des formats et selon des protocoles differents
US6081507A (en) * 1998-11-04 2000-06-27 Polytechnic University Methods and apparatus for handling time stamp aging
WO2000030322A2 (fr) 1998-11-17 2000-05-25 Sun Microsystems, Incorporated Systeme informatique de commutation de paquets a equilibrage des charges utilisant une architecture multiprocesseurs a usages multiples
EP1039761A1 (fr) 1999-03-16 2000-09-27 Sagem Sa Procédé de diffusion de paquets de données numériques par un ensemble de canaux
US6380869B1 (en) * 1999-05-19 2002-04-30 Potomac Aviation Technology Corporation Automated air-traffic advisory system and method
US6751191B1 (en) * 1999-06-29 2004-06-15 Cisco Technology, Inc. Load sharing and redundancy scheme

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020010750A1 (en) * 2000-04-28 2002-01-24 Airsys Atm Sa Redundant input/output management device, notably for data routing
US7707281B2 (en) * 2000-04-28 2010-04-27 Airsys Atm S.A. Redundant input/output management device, notably for data routing
US20040039806A1 (en) * 2001-10-26 2004-02-26 Miras Bertrand Methods and systems for the synchronized recording and reading of data coming from a plurality of terminal devices

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EP1148691A1 (fr) 2001-10-24
FR2807848B1 (fr) 2002-11-29
FR2807848A1 (fr) 2001-10-19
US20020021664A1 (en) 2002-02-21

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